Where the roses bloom (Ruby Rose fan fic)

THE END (Iselen P.O.V)

It is almost certain that I'm going to die. Sitting on a bench, I enjoy the evening sun in the palace's rose garden while I wait for my Lord to call me for a meeting. It can't be long now. In the meantime I let the scent of the roses around me go deep into my lungs. There's no calendula here, luckily; I've found out that the smell makes me feel sick. Too many memories...

It's been three weeks since we came back to Port, our Port, the one on the east side. Three weeks of doing... nothing. After submitting my report, answering my Lord questions and coming back home, he decided that it was about time to get back to a normal routine so he entrusted me to supervise the renovation work being carried out on the main storehouse of the palace. Seriously, who cares about the leaks in the roof? Well, certainly not me. I hope it collapses on Ragnar's balls.

The projects go ahead thanks to my colleagues that have taken control of their fields of work while I was gone. Everything else gets resolved by inertia, I guess. My team was well trained and manages to keep things running but they don't bother to count on me anymore. What for? They ask me something and I don't answer, they call me for a meeting and I don't show up, they ask me to come up with a report and I don't bother to write one. I barely sleep at night, I get up late in the morning, I don't talk to anyone and I barely eat, but I drink, to be honest I drink a lot. I spend half of the time I'm sober in bed getting over my hangover... the other half sitting here in the rose garden, feeling sorry for myself.

I'm not useful anymore so my boss will decide that he doesn't need me: at any time I'm going to get expelled from the military and I'll become a regular mestizo. And everybody knows that we don't survive for a long time. It's likely that I'll end up getting drunk in a tavern, blurting out one of my impertinences and one of the locals will beat me to a pulp in an alley. Or someone will stab my back in the corner of a street. Die of starvation could be an option since nobody is going to give a job. "Who cares?" I think while I see Lieutenant Martin approaching. I don't bother to stand up.

- The Lord wants to talk to you.

Okay, that's it. The moment I was waiting for. This is the first day of the rest of my short life. I follow Martin to my Lord's office without any enthusiasm hoping that the scolding won't last long since I have a headache... too much wine last night. Look, Ragnar is here too. Cool, it'll be a complete and utter humiliation when they kick my ass all three together.

- I have a new mission for you, a very important one.

"Seriously? You must be kidding" I think while I look at my boss incredulously. I wasn't expecting this, there's not a chance in hell that I'm going to accept. Last thing I want is to get involved in a new adventure. Why can't they leave me alone?

- I've been talking with the West Lady and...

- Wait a minute, put the brakes on... You've been doing what? Since when has there been such cooperation? You've only talk or there have been some action? Love is in the air, go figure!

My mocking tone seems to bother my boss but I can hear my comrades snorting of amusement behind me.

- You're very funny Iselen, your mouth will be the cause of your death someday. Luckily, it won't be my problem anymore. You're moving.

- May I ask where?

- To the West.

Suddenly, air seems to become thicker around me and I'm struggling for breath. Did I hear wrong? Dis he said I'm moving west? My heart races about to pound right out of my chest. I notice my hands shaking so I hold them behind my back. I close my mouth and stare at my boss wishing that he just keep talking while hope floods my brain.

- As I was saying I've been talking with the West Lady and, even after all this years of war it's difficult for us to reach an agreement, we both have realized that we could work together in some areas. For example foreign policy. We can't keep pretending that there's no one beyond our borders and, joining forces, we could improving our economy and developing better trading arrangements and also defend ourselves in the event of an immediate threat.

- It might not be a bad idea, the question is whether we can work together without killing each other.

- That's where you come in. You'll be the liaison officer. Basically, you'll serve as our ambassador at the meetings the Lady schedules to plan her foreign policy and you'll protect our interests. If it's an interesting proposal and we can benefit from it, we'll join the plan. You'll have freedom of action. I trust your judgment although I want frequent reports, but you won't have to check every decision with me. It's likely that you'll need to travel abroad to conclude occasional agreements. You'll be very busy and I'm giving you a raise, I need you to properly represent us even though your accommodation is the Lady's responsibility.

- Fine. When do I leave?

- Now – I blink in surprise. What the...? – First meeting is scheduled in a week so you're in a hurry. Next high tide is in three hours and that's enough time to pack a few things, we can send you the rest of your luggage later. What are you doing standing here? Come on!

I don't wait for him to tell it twice and I rush to my bedroom. I'm still stunned with the news but I manage to throw my things in a bag without looking, turning my luggage into a jumble. I don't care because I can't stop laughing. I can believe I'm going to see Ruby again. Fuck! Will she be mad at me? Of course she will. A furious Shadow is something that nobody wants to confront but I don't care if she stabs me with her knives as long as I can see her again. I fill up two bags with what I've had found in my trunks in record time and I rush to the dock. Not even a trip with Ragnar can put me in a bad mood.

It's not a long voyage but this fucking ship doesn't sail as fast as I would like it. Port, the one from the West, finally appears before our eyes in the fog. It's raining and breeze is icy in spite of being spring but I'm not aware of the cold temperature even if my clothes are soaking. I've been waiting in the deck for over an hour grasping the rail and waiting impatient the sign to disembark. I'm so nervous that I'm feeling febrile, that's why I don't feel cold probably. If Ruby doesn't kill me, pneumonia will. Once again I don't care.

- Hey Iselen! – I hear behind me.

- What's eating you Ragnar? I'm in no mood to play games today.

- You owe me one.

- I beg you pardon?

- For the clothes I got you before the mission. I haven't forgotten about it. I need a favour.

- What the hell you want?

- That friend of yours...

- Who?

- The Shadow, your lover or whatever... Do you think that you could persuade her to introduce me to the West Guard Captain?

- Selene? You want to meet Selene? Why?

- Well you know, I could stay here for a couple of days, see the sights and... I don't know... maybe take her to dinner... or something.

- Fuck, love is in the air lately. Don't worry, I can introduce you to her but you have to promise me that you'll behave and you'll make the East look good. So, basically, don't be your stupid self.

- You're not funny. Just do what I ask. We'll disembark in half an hour.